A Very Young Justice Christmas
by Cithariza
Summary: How the Young Justice gang celebrate Christmas.  A series of one-shot fics.  ACCEPTING REQUESTS! Chapter 4: When Robin learns the truth about Santa, Batman orders the YJ gang to make him believe again, or else.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys! In honor of the holidays, I want to post a one-shot everyday of December. But…I need some help. If you have any Christmas related ideas about any of the Young Justice characters and/or their mentors, please let me know. I take any pairings and any type of genre, though I won't go above a T rating. So, no M…sorry! If I use your idea, I will give you a shout out in the next chapter and dedicate the one-shot to you!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Pairing: Miss Martian X Superboy**

**Genre: Romance**

**Rating: K**

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><p>Chapter 1: Christmas Time is Here<p>

Thanksgiving was officially over, and begrudgingly, M'gann and Conner went back to school the following Monday. Even the two aliens understood the horrors of Mondays. However, the two teens found themselves upon a different sort of Monday as they walk through the school doors.

"Conner, look!" Megan exclaimed happily as she gestured toward the newly adorned decorations. Lights hung from the corridor walls, and numerous paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Boughs of holly were scattered around, creating a truly festive feel.

"Um, yeah…neat," he answered, attempting to feign interest for his girlfriend's sake. His half-hearted response didn't go unnoticed by Megan.

"Is something wrong, Conner?"

"No, no!" he insisted, "It's just…the genomes implanted memories of countless Christmases in my head. It's kinda hard to compete with that." His girlfriend pursed her lips.

"But…this will be the first Christmas you actually _experience_. That doesn't excite you?"

She received a shrug in response. Miss Martian frowned and the two of them walked down the hallway in silence. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"I have to go somewhere."

"What?" Conner asked, clearly confused by her random assertion.

Megan ignored his question as her eyes darted across the empty corridor. Once satisfied that she and Superboy were alone, she said, "Tell my teachers I was too sick to go to school today. I'll see you this afternoon!" The Martian girl then became invisible.

"Wait, M'gann!" the raven-haired teen yelled. He was about to go after her when someone put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him firmly in his place. It took everything within the Kryptonian to not beat the person behind him to a pulp.

"Where do you think you're going?" the distinct baritone voice of the school principal inquired. Conner sighed in annoyance, but answered the man calmly.

"I have to go fi-"

"No excuses, young man!" he barked, interrupting Conner, "You are already ten minutes late for class."

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><p>It was almost four o'clock in the afternoon, and M'gann was gleefully waiting for the others to return to the cave. She had spent all morning shopping around for the perfect decorations and the afternoon putting together the perfect winter wonderland. A huge Christmas tree now stood proudly, its boughs decorated with beautiful ornaments and festive garland. The lights on the tree flickered in tandem with the Christmas carols playing and the bare walls now were decorated with Christmas wreaths and colorful ribbons.<p>

M'gann was telekinetically nailing the final Christmas stocking when she smelled something burning. She paused, wondering what she could possibly be smelling. A couple of seconds ticked by, and suddenly she remembered the cookies that she had put in the oven to bake.

"Hello, Megan!" she chastised herself as she floated into the kitchen to pull out the now burning Christmas cookies. As soon as she opened the oven, great plumes of smoke floated out and to the Martian's dismay, she saw that the cookies were on fire. The flames grew darkened smog quickly increased and wafted out of the kitchen, causing Megan to cough furiously. She frantically searched for the fire extinguisher, the smoke blinding her as she fumbled around the kitchen. After what felt like hours, her fingers finally wrapped around the extinguisher. Turning around quickly, Megan squeezed the nozzle and white foam rocketed out. To her relief, the fire was extinguished. Unfortunately, the smoke was still lingering. Panicking, M'gann began fleeing from the kitchen, painfully bumping into the kitchen furniture. She successfully made her way out of the kitchen, but the smoke was still thick. Before she could formulate another plan, a sudden gust of air appeared, causing the smoke to dissipate. The powerful windstorm ceased, and the kitchen was cleared, leaving the Martian girl face to face with Wally. He began to hack violently.

"And here I thought the only thing smokin' was you, Megalicious," Wally managed to say in between coughs as he attempted to shoot her a flirty smile.

"Wally, I—"

"M'gann! Are you okay?" Artemis asked, appearing behind Kid Flash. Kaldur, Robin, and Conner were next to her, looking with wide eyes at the giant mess Wally's windstorm caused. "We saw the smoke, what happened?"

Megan looked around, surveying the damage done by her carelessness. The beautiful decorations that she had put up were ruined, the remains scattered around the floor. All her hard work had been destroyed. Tears welled up in M'gann's eyes as she felt her chest tighten.

"I-I'm sorry!" she managed to choke out before she flew out of the room. The remaining teens stood there, unsure of what to do.

"It seems M'gann is distraught," Kaldur mused, voicing everyone's thoughts.

"Emphasis on the dis," Robin added.

Conner ignored his teammates as his thoughts were focused on his girlfriend. Before anyone else could comment further on Megan's odd behavior, the clone went after her, leaving his teammates to deal with the mess.

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><p>Conner didn't have to wander too far in the hideout to find her. He found her on the floor of the hallway, her head resting against her knees. He quietly made his way toward her, until he was standing in front of her. The Martian looked up at him, her eyes red.<p>

"I just wanted to make this Christmas special for you," she choked out, her voice gruff from crying. Conner's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"You did all of this for me?" he repeated, sitting down next to her. She nodded as she wiped her eyes with her hands.

"It's our first Christmas together. It…it just bothered me that you didn't care about a holiday that is about joy and love. I wanted to show you that experiencing Christmas is better than what those images that you were implanted with."

The two teens sat in silence, Conner soaking in what M'gann said. After sever minutes, Conner spoke suddenly.

"Thank you."

"For what? I ruined everything." Conner shook his head.

"No one's ever done something like this for me before. It…means a lot to me."

For the first time since the incident, M'gann beamed. "You're welcome." She then stood up and looked back down at her boyfriend. "Come on, we should help the others pick up the mess."

Conner gave her a small grin. "Yeah, I guess."

The two heroes walked back to where they had left their teammates, but stopped at the entryway. Silently, they watched as their friends work. The mess that had been there before was gone, and in its place were four young teens decorating. Robin was working on the Christmas lights, making sure all the lights bulbs flickered in sync with the Christmas music. Wally and Artemis were playfully bickering as they hung the remaining ornaments on the now slightly less full tree while Kaldur quietly nailed the Christmas stockings back on the wall. The finished product would be less extravagant than what M'gann had originally done, but it would still be beautiful.

"Looks like that windstorm had blown all of your decorations off," Conner commented. M'gann looked up, and a smile tugged her lips as she began to blush.

"Well, not everything." Megan pointed up above their heads. Conner's eyes followed where her finger was pointing.

"What is that?" he asked.

"It's…mistletoe. Do you know what you're supposed to do when you stand under the mistletoe?"

"Umm…no," Conner responded, clearly confused as to why some plant was hanging on the doorframe.

"The tradition is…you're supposed to…kiss the person you're standing underneath the mistletoe with." The blush on Megan's face grew redder as she explained. Conner grinned.

"I think that's a tradition I could get used to," he said as he leaned toward Megan. The teenager grinned brightly as she leaned in as well, and their lips connected. They parted quickly, the smirk on Conner's face still present.

"You know," he said, "I'm thinking this will be a good Christmas."

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><p><strong>AN: So…how was that? I hope nobody was terribly OOC. I'm really bad at romance, so please let me know if you like it! I know it's cliché, but hey…when is Christmas not cliché? Anyways, I really hope you liked it and please be sure to leave me ideas about what one-shots you want to see. Thank you and happy holidays!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, favorites and the ideas! I'm so glad you all liked chapter 1. I hope you guys like chapter 2! It was an idea I had…I'll start writing you guys' ideas soon, I promise! Keep sending me ideas, so far I've gotten some really good ones! Though, I ask that you guys send me ideas with characters that have appeared in the show…my knowledge of the DC world is very limited.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy<p>

Pairing: Artemis X Green Arrow

Genre: Family/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T (for mild cursing)

Artemis closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. After inhaling and exhaling a couple of times, the young girl opened her eyes, but still felt anxious. How she could battle the likes of the Joker and Poison Ivy without batting an eye and yet freak out over _this_, she'll never know.

But that was neither here nor there. Instead of wandering about her priorities, she should be focusing on the task at hand: The Nutcracker.

Yes, "The Nutcracker." As in the Christmas ballet where gingerbread armies rise up to fight the Mouse King and the nutcracker transforms into a handsome prince.

How did someone like Artemis, the fearless archer who kicks ass and takes names as a hobby, end up being cast in "The Nutcracker"? The answer was simple, but at the same time convoluted.

Her mother. Artemis' mother wanted nothing more than for her daughter to have a different life than she had, a better life. Which was why she pushed her daughter into attending Gotham Academy. Artemis thought that be obeying her mother's wish, that it would satiate her need to continually meddle in the young teen's life. How wrong she was. When Artemis' mother found out that Gotham Academy was putting on a rendition of "The Nutcracker," she insisted that Artemis try out. Artemis, being the tomboy she was, naturally didn't want to audition. She couldn't afford to spend more time away from her crime fighting duties, she argued. But her mother's eyes, normally so dim and distant, were lit with delight and excitement at the prospect of her daughter being in the ballet. Artemis didn't have the heart to deny her mother that happiness. There wasn't much joy in Crock house to begin with. So, begrudgingly, the blonde agreed to try out.

And that's how she ended up becoming the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Even though her character was only in Act II, Artemis found that this ballet was taking up all of her extra time and patience. The practices were brutal, and Artemis was fairly certain the director didn't have a life outside of school due to her uptight and obnoxious behavior. Everything had to be _perfect_ and by golly, it was going to be perfect even if they didn't finish practicing until 10 o'clock at night.

Regardless, Artemis attended all the practices and continually restrained herself from assaulting the director because she knew it was important to her mother. She wouldn't let her mother down no matter what.

So, it was almost grossly ironic when Artemis' mother became sick three days before opening night. It wasn't anything life threatening, just a nasty case of influenza. As a result, her mother was on bed rest and a startling dosage of antibiotics for ten days. Just long enough to miss all of the dates of Artemis' performances.

She wanted to quit more than anything, but she knew her mother would blame herself. Even though she couldn't go, she still wanted Artemis to participate. After all, she made a commitment, as her mother would say, trying to reason with the spunky teen.

So resentfully, she was standing backstage, waiting for the curtain to rise and the commencement of Act II. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her. She didn't want to look foolish after all, even if she didn't care that much about the ballet.

Suddenly, the music started up again, causing Artemis' cast mates to quiet their chattering. The curtain slowly began to rise, and everybody got into position, poised to begin their routine. Inhaling slowly, Artemis let go of all the stress, annoyance, and nervousness she felt, and began to focus. Closing her eyes, she exhaled and began to count in her head.

_1, 2, 3. 1, 2 ,3. 1. 2. 3._

The curtain was completely up, and blinding yellow lights shined down on the archer, the brightness making it virtually impossible to see the audience. The music grew louder, and Artemis' cue was coming up. Her heart began to beat with the rhythm of the music, and before she could fully register it, she began to dance.

_1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3…_

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><p>Artemis tried her best to ignore her cast mates as she collected her things. Opening night was over, and thankfully Artemis had gotten through it without making a complete fool of herself. However, that relief was starting to turn into annoyance as her costars continued talking.<p>

"Oh, my God!" Sarah, the girl who played the protagonist Carla, squealed. "That was like, so amazing! And the best part is that now me and my boyfriend and my family are going to go out to celebrate my wonderful performance."

It took everything in the blonde to not roll her eyes as Sarah bragged. Another girl, Madison, who was one of the Russian Candy Cane Performers, smiled.

"Yeah, me and my folks are going to go out for a nice dinner," Madison then turned to Artemis, "What are you going to do, Artemis?

Artemis looked up, surprised by the question. "Oh…nothing." Madison's smile faltered.

"You and your parents aren't going to do _anything_?' Artemis flinched from the somber tone of the girl's voice.

"Well, my mom has influenza and is on bedrest," she replied, feeling the need to defend her mother's reason for not coming, "And…my dad's not exactly in the picture." Madison's frown deepened.

"You mean, nobody came to see you perform?"

Artemis was about to respond when Jackie, the producer, came up to the group of girls. "Artemis, there's a man who says he's here to see you." Artemis quirked an eyebrow, unsure of who Jackie could be referring to. But before she could ask, a dashing blonde man appeared behind the producer, holding a boquet of red roses.

"Arty!" he exclaimed happily.

"Ollie?" Artemis replied, shocked to see him here. "What are you doing here?"

"Who's that?" Madison inquired, eyeing the man.

"He's my…uh…uncle."

Madison leaned in close to Artemis and whispered, "Is it weird that I think your uncle is totally hot?"

"Very." Artemis then addressed her "uncle."

"Uncle Ollie, this is a surprise. What are you doing in Gotham?"

Ollie grinned. "Did you really think I'd miss your show?" Artemis didn't respond.

"Well," Ollie continued, "What say we go out and celebrate?"

"Sounds great," Artemis replied halfheartedly. The older man clapped his hand on her shoulder and steered away from the others. As they walked out of the high school, the superhero handed his protégé the flowers.

"For you."

"Thanks, but you can drop the act."

They reached Green Arrow's car, a sleek 2011 Mercedes Benz. Artemis grimanced. "Really? You brought the Benz?"

"What's wrong with my car?"

Artemis shrugged. "Nothing. Just don't come crying to me when it's been stripped down for car parts."

"Just get in the car, Artemis." Oliver sighed.

Complying, she sat in the passenger seat and waited for her mentor to start the car. Once the engine started and they began driving, Artemis spoke.

"How did you know where I was going to be tonight?"

"Your mother called me," Green Arrow responded. "You should've told me about it." His tone was completely serious.

"Whatever."

"You made a wonderful Sugar Plum Fairy," he commented, changing the subject. Artemis snorted.

"You mean you actually did watch the performance?"

"Of course I did. Why does that surprise you so much?"

"It doesn't…not exactly. Just unexpected," she answered truthfully. Ollie rubbed his eyes with his fingers, clearly frustrated.

"It's okay to trust people, you know," he stated flatly.

"I do trust people. I trust my teammates."

"What about me?" His question took the young archer by surprise. She remained quiet for a little while as she tried to formulate a response.

"I—"

"Look, kid," Green Arrow interjected, "I know you've been let down a lot in a short time. And the adults in your life haven't exactly been the best examples of what a healthy relationship is. But, I want you to know that I won't let you down like that. I will _always _be here for you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah."

The multimillionaire dropped the subject, and they remained silent as they drove to Artemis' apartment. She didn't mind the silence so much, it gave her some time to think. And by the time they pulled up to her apartment, she knew what she wanted to say to her mentor.

"Thank you for coming to my performance," she said, "And for the roses." Ollie smiled.

"Sure thing, kid. Before you go, I would like to give you something else." She looked at the man curiously as he handed her a flash drive.

"It's a video of your performance. I thought your mother would appreicate it." Artemis looked down at the flash drive, feeling touched by his kindness.

"My mother will love this, thanks," she told him gratefully.

"Now, go on. I got a hot date at 11."

"Eww, didn't need to know that."

He laughed at her disgust before quickly sobering up. "Take care of yourself, kid."

"I will," she stated emphatically. "You, too. I don't want to hear that this date of yours ended with you in your bathtub with a missing kidney."

Ollie laughed again. "Okay, okay. I really gotta go now. I'll see you soon."

Artemis stepped out of the car. "Later," she baded him, slamming the door shut. She stood outside of her apartment as she watched the carlights grow dimmer and dimmer, until they vanished. Slowly, she turned around and went inside, sniffing the roses as she entered the apartment.

"Mom, I'm home." She called as she went to her mother's bedroom. Artemis saw that her mother was awake and smiling weakly at her.

"How was opening night?"

Artemis sat down on the corner of her bed and began telling her mother about what her performance.

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><p><strong>AN: I feel like I took a lot of liberties with Artemis and Green Arrow…I hope nobody minds! But they don't really talk about it on the show, so hopefully it's okay! And I tried not to delve too deeply in Artemis' past in case there are people here who don't know it. So hopefully you guys liked it, and don't think it's too fluffy or dumb. Let me know if I should change to a different genre, and give me ideas! I only have ideas for fluffy things, so I would appreciate some angst lol!**

**Thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, guys! I'm so glad you're liking the stories. And keep sending ideas! I haven't used any yet, but I'm getting ready to soon. I just want to make sure I write them to the best of my abilities, because I've received a lot of good prompts!**

**This story is in part inspired by the Justice League episode "Comfort and Joy" which this story is loosely based on. It's also inspired by something that I feel very strongly about.**

**Oh, and just a note: I'm pretty sure this is NOT how the series is doing it, but for this chapter Wally lives with Barry. Okay? Okay!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Pairing: Kid Flash X Flash X YJ gang**

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><p>Chapter 3: Comfort and Joy<p>

"But Uncle Barry!" Wally whined, "Why do we have to go _today_? There's a big Christmas dance at Megan and Conner's school and we were all going to go!" The elder Flash rolled his eyes at his young charge.

"Chill, Wally. Besides, we won't be here for the whole night…you can go after we're finished here."

"But I-" Uncle Barry stuck his hand out, silencing Kid Flash.

"No, "buts," mister. We're here."

There were indeed, the teen thought to himself as they stood in front of the building. Wally craned his head upwards as he tried to see how tall the grey building was. He shivered as he studied the hospital building before him. He could think of a thousand places he'd rather be than this diseased filled hell. But before he could make another argument, his uncle pulled on his wrist, leading him inside.

The smell of disinfectant instantly filled the boy's nose, causing him to gag. Though the gagging noises Wally made were obvious, Barry paid him no heed as he steered him toward the elevator. The Flash pushed the elevator button, smiling and waving at the gaggle of spectators who had stopped their current activities to watch the superhero and his sidekick. Awkwardly, Kid Flash also waved, embarrassed by the way his uncle was manhandling him through the lobby.

Much to Wally's relief, they didn't have to wait very long for the elevator doors to open up. With a final wave to the crowd, the two men entered the elevator.

The two heroes remained silent as the elevator made its ascent. Kid Flash sighed as he impatiently waited for the elevator to reach the eleventh floor, wanting to finish here as quickly as possible.

"Come on, Wal. Don't be like that. It's the holidays and we're here to bring some Christmas cheer. Can you at least pretend?"

"Fine," the red head huffed. Truth was, Wally wouldn't mind visiting the hospital on most days, but he _really _wanted to go to that dance with Megan. He had envisioned a romantic holiday dance that would make her fall in love with him. And even if they finished at the hospital early enough, he'd still be arriving toward the end of the dance. So what was the point?

The ding of the elevator indicated they had arrived at the eleventh floor. The doors swooshed open, revealing a beautifully decorated corridor. Colorful lights hung along the walls, blinking green and red at them as they walked down the hallway, leading them to a big, open room. A huge Christmas tree stood in the middle of the room, the mismatched ornaments hanging proudly on the tree's piney boughs. Pictures of santa and his reindeers littered the walls of the room, and snowflakes hung from the ceiling above them. It was with a sinking filling in his heart that Wally realized just who exactly they were here to see.

"We're in the pediatric ward," he muttered. Wally looked up at his uncle and noticed a somber frown on the older man's face. However, the man's expression brightened when he heard the sound of children's voices echoing down the hallway. When the first wave of children entered the room, Wally felt his sinking heart crack at the sight before him.

Some of the children were in wheelchairs, being pushed along by their nurses. Some of them were able to walk, but were under the watchful eye of their nurses as well. They all were unusually pale with dark bags under their eyes. Some of them had no hair, while others had willowy wisps of peach fuzz. Though the children were frail and fragile, huge grins appeared on their faces at the sight of the Flash and Kid Flash. They began to cheer happily, causing the smile on the Flash's face to grow wider.

"Hey kids," he greeted joyfully, "Merry Christmas!" Inconspicuously, he elbowed his nephew, sending him a silent message to greet the children.

"Uh, hey kids," Wally said tentatively. The kids didn't seem to notice the younger Flash's hesitance as they sat around him and his uncle.

"You guys ready for me and KF to read a story?" Barry asked.

"Yeah!" the children responded in unison. Two nurses appeared with chairs for Barry and Wally, the brunette nurse handing Wally a book. Uncomfortably, Wally sat down next to his uncle, opening the book to the first page.

"You wanna start, kid?" the Flash asked his protégé.

"Um, sure…"

Wally looked at the kids, their sickly faces full of delight as they patiently waited for him to begin. He then eyed his uncle, who nodded encouragingly. Inhaling deeply, the red headed teen looking back down at the book and began to read.

"'Twas the night before Christmas…"

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><p>"See, Wally? We're back with plenty of time for you to get to the dance." They were back home, sitting at the table as Barry's wife made them a batch of Christmas cookies.<p>

"Yeah…I'll uh…go get ready." Wally's uncle frowned.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing a signficant change in his nephew's usual laidback demeanor.

"I'm fine!" Wally lied, "I'm just tired. Actually, I think I'm going to skip the dance and just go to bed."

"You don't want any cookies?" his aunt inquired, "I'm about to take them out of the oven."

"No, thanks. I'm just gonna lie down. Good night," he baded his family as left the kitchen and walked up the stairs.

Carefully, Wally shut his bedroom door and flopped onto his bed, not even bothering with changing into his civies. He was too engrossed in his own mind, thinking about what had seen earlier that evening.

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling he had. Those poor children were fighting for their lives, and all he had cared about was going to some dance. What kind of hero was he? What kind of _human_ was he?

Wally sighed, tossing back and forth as he tried to fall asleep. But his thoughts wouldn't cease, no matter how hard he tried to push them away. If only he could do something more for those kids.

Suddenly, he had an idea. He felt himself smile as he finally drifted to sleep.

"We missed you at the dance last night KF," Robin stated when Kid Flash had arrived the next day. The six heroes were at the cave, waiting for Black Canary to begin combat lessons.

"Not all of us," Artemis clarified, giving the red haired teen a smug smile. It went unnoticed by Wally. The archer quirked an eyebrow.

"What, no stupid comeback?"

_Artemis, I think Wally's really upset_ M'gann said, linking the two of them telepathically. Artemis looked at the Martian, then turned her attention back to the speedster, her gaze softening fractionally.

"Is something troubling you?" Kaldur inquired.

"Kinda," Wally responded, "Last night, instead of going to the dance with you, I went to a hospital with the Flash to read to some kids." The room went silent. Finally, Robin spoke up.

"What's wrong them?"

"Cancer, different types."

The room fell silent once more. Wally began to formulate what he'd say next. After careful consideration, he began to speak once again.

"It was…hard to see them so sickly. But, what made it okay was the fact that they were so happy to see me and Flash. And that got me thinking…what could I do to make this Christmas even more special for them? Then I had an idea. If two superheroes could make them so happy, what about six?"

He let his question linger, letting it set in with the others.

"Us?" Conner asked after a minutes of silence ticked by.

"Yeah!" Wally exclaimed, "I mean, how cool would it be? Last night they were all telling me how awesome you guys were. Think about how excited they would be to meet their heroes. What do you guys think?"

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Megan stated. Wally beamed at her before turning his attention to the others.

"What about you guys?"

"It would be an honor." Kaldur replied.

"Count me in," Artemis responded.

"Why not?" Superboy added.

"This is going to be so asterous!" Robin proclaimed high fiving his best friend. Kid Flash then addressed his friends.

"Great, it's settled, then."

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><p>The six heroes walked into the pediatrics ward, anxious to meet the children. After what felt like an eternity, the children arrived.<p>

"Hey, kids! Santa Flash is back!" Wally exclaimed, "And I brought some special friends!"

All the children gasped as they realized who else was with Kid Flash. The other five teens happily waved to the children.

"And…we brought presents!" Kid Flash added, causing the children to cheer even louder. The kids gathered around the heroes as they handed each and every one of the kids a gift. A chorus of thank yous rang out, causing the six friends to smile.

One little boy tugged on the bottom of Conner's shirt. The raven haired teen looked down into two big green eyes. "Do you want to play with me?" the little boy asked shyly. Conner shrugged, but a small smile was on his face.

"Sure."

"You have pretty hair," a girl said, complimenting Miss Martian's red hair. M'gann kneeled down.

"You have beautiful hair, too" she responded, delicately touching the young girl's pixie blonde hair.

"My doctor says my hair will be as long as it used to be soon," the little girl responded happily, ecstatic by the hero's compliment.

Wally looked on as each of his friend's entertained a group of children, a big smile forming on his lips. He had always heard that it was better to give than to receive, but never quite understood the sentiment behind it. Even still, he doesn't quite understand it. Even though he and his friend's are giving these children gifts and attention, they are giving the six of them something even better. Wally had been given many great gifts before, but nothing could compare to what he was experiencing now.

"Santa Flash!" a boy yelled cheerfully. The teenager looked down at the boy.

"What's up kid?"

"Do you want to race cars?" Wally grinned mischievously.

"You're on!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, kiddo," Barry greeted when his protégé arrived home.<p>

"Hi Uncle Barry, Aunt Iris!" Wally responded, greeting his aunt and uncle happily. The two adults smiled to each other, relieved that their nephew was acting more like himself.

"How was your day?" Barry asked.

"It was great! I took Robin and the others to the hospital to visit those kids again."

"Really?" Barry replied, clearly surprised.

"Yeah. And uh…speaking of which. Do you guys think it's possible that instead of giving gifts this year we could donate that money? You know…to somwhere like the St. Jude's foundation?"

Iris smiled. "I think that's a wonderful idea, what do you think Barry?"

"Yeah, totally."

Wally smiled. "Cool. I'm going to go upstairs and play some videogames." The teen then left the two adults to pursue his gaming endeavors. As soon as he was out of earshot, Barry and Iris began to speak again.

"He really is growing up into a wonderful young man," Iris stated wistfully.

"No kidding," Barry said, "Maybe there's hope for him yet."

"AUNT IRIS, I'M HUNGRY! CAN YOU MAKE ME A SANDWICH?" Wally yelled from upstairs. The two adults laughed.

"Sure thing, Wal!" she hollered back before glancing at her husband who smirked back at her.

"One day at a time, Iris. One day at a time."

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you guys liked this one! It holds a special place in my heart because I have some personal experience in this area. St. Jude's is truly a wonderful organization, and one day when I have a stable job and income, I will be donating some of my money to them because they really do some extraordinary things. I pray for those who know someone who has cancer, particularily for those children who do. It's a hard battle to engage in, and I pray for each and everyone's experience. I wrote this chapter as a reminder for all of us to remember just how lucky we are, even when it doesn't feel like it. Love you all and thank you for all the support and reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry…I know I've been MIA. But between finals and preparing for Christmas, I've just been too tired to write.**

**So, this chapter is based on an idea I received from ProtectorKorii. I inadventantly deviated some from your idea, I hope that's okay! The story kind of took a life of its own. Thank you so much for the idea!**

**Pairing: Robin X Batman X YJ gang**

**Genre: Family/Friendship**

**Rating: K+**

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><p>Chapter 4: Santa Clause is Coming to Town<p>

_Recognized, Captain Marvel 1-5. _

The sound of the robotic voice alerted the Young Justic team to their former "den-mother" as he vaporized into the main entry of the base.

"Hey, Captain Marvel!" Wally greeted as the superhero appeared. Captain Marvel ignored the speedster's salutations, instead he launched into some rather exciting news…at least, exciting to him.

"Guys!" he exclaimed, his eyes lit with excitement, "I just found out that Santa Clause is going to be at the mall! We should go see him!"

The six teenagers exchanged glances, taken aback by the man's outburst.

"Uh…Captain?" Artemis asked, "You do realize that Santa isn't—"

_Watchtower to Capatin Marvel _a static-like voice mumbled.

"Oh, just a minute, Artemis,' Captain Marvel responded, "Gotta take this." Pressing on the com-link in his ear, Captain Marvel answered the call.

"Captain Marvel here."

There was a slight pause as the hero listened intently to what the person was saying. A frown appeared on his face as he listened, the frown growing more pronounced by the minute. Finally, Captain Marvel responded.

"But, do I have to go? Santa's at the mall today!" he pouted into his com-link, "I really want to go!"

"Don't worry," Kid Flash reassured him, "Santa's gonna be at the mall right up to Christmas Day, buddy!"

Captain Marvel brightened, "Really? Okay, then." He then turned his attention back to the person on the comlink. "I'm on my way!" As soon as he ended the call, he looked to his six friends.

"We'll go see Santa tomorrow, okay?" The teenagers nodded hesitantly, unwilling to break the news to Captain Marvel right before a mission. The Santa-believing hero grinned widely.

"Yes, alright! Gotta fly!" With that, the caped man stood in front of the zeta tube.

_Recognized, Captain Marvel 1-5. _

Then they were alone. Artemis elbowed Wally.

"Ow!" he cried, "What was that for?"

"How could you lie to Captain Marvel like that?" she lectured. Robin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's going to realize that the Santa at the mall's not the real one."

The five remaining heroes shifted their attention to their youngest member, disbelief written on their faces.

"What did you say?" Conner asked. Robin cocked his head.

"I said that the Santa Clause at the mall isn't the real one, duh. He hires a bunch of guys to masquerade as him. This is the busiest time for Santa, why would he be wasting time letting a buch of snot-nosed kids sit on his lap?"

"Dude, are you serious?" KF asked, not able to believe what he's hearing.

_I think he really means it, Wally _M'gann said, linking the five heroes telepathically.

_Well, what are we gonna do?_ Artemis asked.

_Yes, this is a most precarious situation_ Kaldur added.

_Yeah, even I know Santa doesn't exist, and I'm not human! _Conner exclaimed.

"Are you guys having a telepathic conversation without me?" Robin asked, noticing their discomfort and awkward silence.

"Umm…well, here's the thing," Wally started, hesitating about what he should say, "Rob…Santa isn't real."

"What?" Robin retorted, "Of course he is! Why would there be presents under the tree from Santa, then? Why would parents go through that extra hassle?"

"You know, that _is _a good question," Wally muttered, earning another nudge in the ribs from Artemis.

"Robin…" Kaldur began to say, but was interrupted by the presence of another League member.

_Recognized, Batman. 0-2._

The Caped Crusader entered the hideout, completely unaware of the argument that his presence had just interrupted. That is, until Robin ran up to him.

"Is it true?" he demanded, "Is it true that Santa doesn't exist?"

Batman remained silent, and with the exception of his eyes widening marginally, the Dark Knight was as stoic as ever. But it was enough to answer Robin's question.

"You _lied _to me?" The anger in Robin's voice was evident now. "How could you lie to me?"

"Robin—"

But Robin didn't let his mentor finish. Without even giving him a backward glance, Robin stormed off, clearly not in the mood to talk to anybody.

_Recognized, Robin. B 0-1_

Nobody spoke once the second half of the Dynamic Duo left, mostly out of fear of what the Batman would do. They didn't have to wait for very long, seeing as he began opened the line of communication. .

"Who told him?" Batman asked. Well, more like growled. The group of teens remained motionless, as if too petrified to confess the truth. Finally, the brave Kryptonian responded.

"Wally."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Wally retorted, whipping around to face the clone, "If you think I'm gonna stand here and let you throw me under the bus—"

"I am afraid we all inadvertantly played a part," Kaldur, in true team leader fashion explained to the Batman ever so diplomatically, "though Kid Flash ultimately was the one who told him."

"But in our defense," Artemis boldly added, "What kind of guardian lets their teenaged ward believe that Santa exists? How could we _not_ be surprised by that?"

The young archer received the ever famous "Bat-Glare" causing her momentary burst of courage to quickly diffuse.

"You will fix this," the Dark Knight responded addressing all of them. "Now."

He didn't need to tell them twice. Satsified that he got his point across, the enigmatic hero left them to their own devices, presumably to find his protégé. Wordlessly, he sauntered over to the zeta tube. As it started the recognition process, Batman turned back and gave the remaining five heroes a stern look, silently solidifying his order to them.

_Recognized, Batman. 0-2. _

It wasn't until the older hero was gone that Megan realized she had been holding her breath all this time.

"How can we fix this?" Wally squawked in dismay. "Santa _isn't _real!"

"We must restore his faith in this 'Santa Clause' somehow" Kaldur stated.

"Yeah, and how do we go about doing that?" Artemis huffed, "The kid may be gullible, but he isn't stupid."

There was a pregnant pause as the five teens let the gears in their head turn, trying to come up with a sure-fire plan. Finally, M'gann spoke, slapping herself on the forehead.

"Hello, Megan!"

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><p>"Why do <em>I<em> have to be the one who dresses up?" Wally complained the next day as he tugged at the Santa costume uncomfortably.

"Because," Conner replied, "You're the only one who has an excuse to not be here. Megan, Kaldur, and I live here and Artemis—"

"Is a girl, and therefore not elligible for the role of Santa. Sorry," Artemis said in a tone that clearly conveyed she was _not _sorry. "Here, don't forget your beard."

Resentfully, the redhead took the beard from his teammate, grumbling as he pulled it over his face. Once secured, he pulled the red hood over his red hair, completely the transformation. Wally sighed.

"Well, how do I look?"

"Just like Santa!" Megan replied happily as Artemis tried not laugh at her teammate.

"I certainly _feel _like Santa," Wally commented as he placed his hand over the his midsection, which at the moment was buried under several pillows to mimic the milk and cookie belly of Christmas legend.

"Do not worry," Kaldur advised, trying to comfort his friend, "It is a temporary state."

_Recognized, Captain Marvel 1-5._

"Hey guys, ready to see Santa Cla—" the hero began to ask before he noticed who else was present. "Oh my gosh! It's Santa!"

"Wait Captai—"

Wally never got to finish his statement, seeing as the cape wearing hero raced over to him and began to hug him tightly, cutting off his air supply.

_Wally, don't say anything_ Miss Martian ordered telepathically. _If he really thinks you're Santa, it might make convincing Robin that much easier. _

The disguised teen sighed quietly, knowing that his teammate was right. Once Captain Marvel finally let go, and Wally was able to catch his breath, the redheaded teenager spoke.

"So, Captain Marvel," he said, making his voice as low and jolly as possible, "Tell Santa what you want for Christmas." Wally sat down on a nearby chair, waiting expectantly.

Captain Marvel smiled brightly as he jumped onto Wally's knee and launched into his rather long and rather odd Christmas list. As the man-child rambled on, another presence became known.

_Recognized, Batman. 0-2._

The four remaining heroes looked away from Wally and Captain Marvel as they shifted their attention to the Cape Crusader, curious to see how the man would react to the scene before him.

Keeping in character, the Dark Knight did not speak once he registered what was going on, rather he opted for the "Bat-Stare" which looked an awful lot like the "Bat-Glare" as far as Superboy was concerned. Batman showed no reaction as he watched them, the scrutiny making Megan shift uncomfortably. It had been her idea, after all. Finally, he turned away, walking over to Red Tornado who had just entered the room. Captain Marvel, noticing them, thanked Santa with another hug and joined his two teammates. The three began to talk quietly, most likely about League matters.

_Recognized, Robin. B 0-1._

Artemis inhaled sharply as she watched her teammate saunter into the room. His mood had clearly not improved since yesterday's incident. Robin's mood did shift subtly from anger to suspicion as he noted the heavyset, red-clad fellow.

"What's going on?" he inquired. "And where's Wally?"

"Wally had to attend to a family matter," Kaldur responded, keeping his composure.

"And I," Wally continued in his best Santa voice, "Heard about what your friends said about me yesterday."

Robin took a step closer. "You're Santa?"

"Of course I am!" Wally answered jovially. Robin did not waver. Instead, he took another step closer to Santa.

"So, if you're really Santa," he began, "then tell me how you can travel all across the world in just one night?'

"Well, you have to take into consideration that not all people celebrate Christmas," Wally explained, "And that there are over 40 time zones, giving me more time than people realize. Plus, my reindeer and sled are enchanted to fly at a rate faster than Superman."

Robin took yet another step closer. "How do you get down the chimney? And how do you enter the houses of people who don't have a chimney?

This Q & A session lasted for a few minutes until finally Robin was standing right in front of Wally. Robin looked deep into Wally's green eyes, and the red haired boy did his best not to flinch or give off any signal to Robin that he truly was not Santa. After several moments of careful searching, Robin backed down.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Wally echoed, uncertain of his friend's meaning. Robin nodded.

"Yeah. Can I tell you what I want for Christmas?"

'Of course you can." Wally responded, relieved that Robin didn't discover their ruse.

Cautiously, Robin sat down on Wally's knee and began to name all the gifts he wanted. Wally listened intently, making as many Santa-esque commentaries as he could.

_Looks like we were able to make him believe again! _M'gann exclaimed happily as she telepathically linked the remaining teens.

_I can't believe he actually bought it_ Conner commented.

_Sometimes it takes very little to persuade a person to believe in something he wants to _Kaldur replied.

Artemis nodded. _He's only thirteen, but he's already had to do a lot of growing up. _She paused, remembering how calm and collected he was when the Tornadoes had attacked the base. The archer looked over her shoulder to where the Batman was standing, and for a minute, she thought she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips as he glanced over at his protégé. Suddenly, she understood why the older man never told Robin about Santa. He wanted to protect the last piece of Robin's childhood alive for as long as he could.

What's the harm in letting him believe for just a little while longer?

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you guys liked it…I'm sorry if it wasn't very good. Like I said, I've been so busy and exhausted. Please let me know what you thought and please let me know if you have any ideas on what one-shot I should write next! Thanks guys!**


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